Guide to the J. C. Williamson Theatres Pantomimes, 1873-1966

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Summary

Collection number:

JCWPanto

Extent:

142 items and 5 prompt boxes

Language:

English

Preferred citation:

Acknowledgement of use this material should refer to the Ephemera PROMPT collection.

Citation of items from this collection should include references to author's/organisation's name, date, item title, Publisher and place of publication.

Example: J.C. Williamson (Firm). Theatre Royal (Adelaide, S.A.). 1950, Gilbert Sullivan opera season [theatre program] : The gondoliers J. C. Williamson Ltd [Adelaide]

Availability:

Available

Background

Content Summary:

This list includes pantomimes held in J.C. Williamson theatres, as well as those produced by J.C. Williamson and performed in other theatres under venue hire arrangements.

The list also includes libretti for overseas pantomime productions collected by J.C. Williamson for their corporate archive.

Printed materials in the PROMPT collection include programs and printed ephemera such as brochures, leaflets, tickets, etc. Theatre programs are taken as the prime documentary evidence of a performance staged by the J.C. Williamson company. In a few cases however, the only evidence of a performance is a piece of printed ephemera. In these cases the type of piece is identified, eg, brochure.

The list is based on imperfect holdings and is updated as gaps in the Library's holdings for these artists are filled. Unless otherwise stated, all entries are based on published programs in the PROMPT collection.

Biographical / Historical:

James Cassius Williamson was an American actor who immigrated to Australia in the 1870s. Along with business partners, such as William Musgrove, his theatre company became one of the most dominant in colonial Australia. After his death in 1913 the company, now named J.C. Williamson Ltd. continued under the direction of George Tallis and the Tait brothers (who remained involved in the company until the 1970s).

J.C. Williamson continued to be one of the biggest theatre companies in Australia throughout the first three quarters of the 20th century. J.C. Williamson held the license for theatres in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide and New Zealand (at times more than one theatre in each city). In 1976 the company closed, but the name was licensed until the mid 1980s.

Arrangement:

This list has two sections: Pantomimes produced by J.C. Williamson or produced in J.C. Williamson theatres and Libretti for overseas productions of pantomimes collected by J.C. Williamson.

The primary arrangement of this finding aid is chronological based on the start date of each production. The selection of libretti for overseas pantomimes at the end of the list has been arranged alphabetically according to the title of the production. All dates are based on evidence in the programs or ephemera, or have been confirmed by accessing newspaper articles and advertisements through Trove.

Entries for each program in the main section are arranged as follows:title of Production / creator if known; year of production. The scope and contents notes include extra information such as date (day and month); theatre/venue; headline performers; brief description of item , ie "1 program".

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